COOP COOPER is an independently syndicated film critic with a split personality. His “Southern Side” prints mainstream reviews that appear in various print publications across the mid-south. His “Dark Side” from Los Angeles befouls the site with reviews of horror and grindhouse flicks. Welcome to the site where COOP’s two halves (and his contributors) review and debate the latest film/DVD releases…

Kids today are growing up in a much different entertainment/social culture than my friends and I did back in Generation X. If we wanted to see a movie, we would have to go to the theater in groups, go rent a tape at a video store and meet up and someones house or sit around the TV and hope something good was on MTV. Now entertainment is as easily accessible and as instantaneous as making a call or typing a text. Here are a few of the trends I’m noticing that indicate how entertainment and interaction has changed for ‘Millennials’ and the up-and-coming group known as ‘Generation Z’…

The summer movie season is nearly upon us and here are a few of the most anticipated films that could rake in the big box office bucks…

“The Avengers: Age of Ultron” (May 1) – In this sequel the superhero team fights Ultron, an omnipotent robot villain born from Tony Stark’s technology. This film will greatly expand the Marvel mythology and introduce some new heroes and villains who are sure to appear in future films.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (May 15) – This will be the first “Mad Max” movie in thirty years and according to the spectacularly chaotic trailer, this franchise rebooting may be worth the wait. Tom Hardy plays the new Max who faces off against two warring clans of survivors, one of which is lead by a one-armed Charlize Theron…

Netflix once again challenges network and cable TV with a potential new cult classic, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and all thirteen episodes have been released at once through the Netflix Instant online service.

After being saved from a doomsday cult which has been living in an underground bunker for fifteen years, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) attempts to adjust to her new life on the outside. After a humiliating Today Show interview, she has an epiphany that she should start over, live in New York City and learn the ways of the modern world. She uses her settlement money to find an apartment tended by a sleazy, yet goodhearted landlord (Carol Kane) and moves in with a black, gay, desperate Broadway wannabe (Tituss Burgess). Through happenstance she gets a job as a nanny for the spoiled rotten kids of a clueless and vapid Manhattan socialite (Jane Krakowski), all while trying to keep her past as a ‘Mole Woman’ cultist a secret…

As I finish watching the third season of the Netflix Instant series “House of Cards”, I can’t help but think how powerful and great the internet has become that it can stream shows and movies instantly from the cloud to your TV, tablet or cell phone. Now that the U.S. Government will begin policing the internet in about six weeks, it begs the question… Is the internet about to be changed for better or for worse?…

1. Funny actors don’t always make the best hosts. Just because Neil Patrick Harris won a Tony and had a hit TV sitcom doesn’t mean his jokes or timing are going to work. His racial references were clumsy. Even more cringe-worthy was an ill-timed joke about an award-winner’s dress after she dedicated her win to her son who committed suicide.

2. There will be an upset or two. I thought for sure Eddie Redmayne was the last actor in the category who would win Best Actor but I was sorely mistaken. Likewise did I underestimate the Academy’s love for “Birdman” which won best picture, nearly shutting out “Boyhood” from all other categories except for Best Supporting Actress. Additionally, I was very pleased “Whiplash” won Editing and Sound Mixing along with a well deserved win for J. K. Simmons as Best Supporting Actor…

Anyone who regularly watched “Breaking Bad” through most of its run remembers how the shady ambulance-chasing lawyer character of Saul Goodman helped former chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) manage his crystal methamphetamine empire. While Saul was an amusingly good-natured and funny guy, he was a crook, but it was plain to see he had no stomach for the violence his job sometimes required. Now in a genius stroke, “Bad” creator Vince Gilligan has opted to tell Saul’s story which takes place before, during and after the timespan of “Breaking Bad” with the new series “Better Call Saul”…

I remember reading “Paddington Bear” picture books as a kid. I recall being mildly amused by the bear in the hat and overcoat but as an adult I couldn’t possibly imagine a live-action adaptation would be entertaining for both parents and children. Surprisingly, “Paddington” proved me wrong and I’m very pleased to say it surprised me nearly as much as “The Lego Movie” did last year…

“Cake” – Jennifer Aniston stars as Claire Bennett, a grieving woman suffering through long-term physical therapy after a car accident claimed the life of her child, spirals into substance abuse and self destruction. When her ‘chronic pain’ support group partner (Anna Kendrick) commits suicide, Claire drags her loyal, yet exasperated housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barazza) around the city to discover why and to finally begin on her own road to recovery. Aniston’s performance is like nothing she has ever done before and keeps things light with deadpan humor despite the grim subject matter. Many believe she was snubbed for a ‘Best Actress’ nomination and sadly, they may be right. Barazza likewise deserved some recognition for her breakout performance as Silvana…

Becoming a celebrity is a double-edged sword. On one side you gain the admiration of the public, you are offered ample opportunities to obtain wealth and you receive special treatment due to your status. On the other side, you lose most of your privacy, people have unrealistic expectations of you and every word you speak (or type) in the public arena is scrutinized. While some celebrities bemoan this scrutiny, some use it as a platform to promote their beliefs and pet political causes, as well as expand their fame and influence. Some express these beliefs/causes thoughtfully and eloquently. Many do not…

I’m still powering through many of the 2014 films that are up for awards and here are five more I think are exceptional and worthy of a watch…

“Birdman” – A washed up actor (Michael Keaton) tries to salvage a troubled play production that could revitalize his career, but a narcissistic, unhinged co-star (Edward Norton), a zany cast of misfits and his own psychosis could derail his comeback. Shot to look like it was filmed in one continuous shot (it wasn’t), “Birdman” is an actor’s dream film which will be most well known for singlehandedly – if not temporarily – resurrecting Michael Keaton’s career…

Keeping in mind I haven’t seen several of the hyped filmed which may be up for awards (ex- “Unbroken”, “Birdman”, “American Sniper”, “Inherent Vice”, “Selma”, “Foxcatcher”, “The Imitation Game”, etc…), here are ten of my favorites so far from 2014…

10. “Guardians of the Galaxy” – Possibly the most re-watchable film of 2014, this obscure Marvel comic book became the surprise blockbuster of the year. With comic Chris Pratt reinvented as an action hero co-starring with a menagerie of weird aliens, this franchise could be the “Star Wars” of this generation…

by Coop Cooper
The most controversial film of the 21st Century has been released. Was it worth all that fuss? Of course not.
Cheesy entertainment talk show host, Dave Skylark (James Franco), and his producer, Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen), suddenly find their meager show getting a lot of attention when rapper Eminem spontaneously comes out [...]

Mirroring the Old Testament verses on which it was based, Moses (Christian Bale) grows up a prince of Egypt and fights alongside of the future Pharaoh, Ramses (Joel Edgerton), as his adopted brother. Unaware of his Hebrew heritage, Moses is sent to parlay with the leader of the Jewish slaves (Ben Kingsley) who informs him of his past and his future destiny. In disbelief, Moses returns to his duties, but betrays Ramses to protect a Hebrew servant. Moses is exiled, finds refuge with a band of Jewish wanderers and quickly falls in love with a woman named Zipporah (Maria Valverde) whom he marries. After a time of peace, God speaks to Moses, setting off a chain of events that will lead to Moses freeing the Jewish slaves from Egypt…

By now, many of you have heard that the computer systems at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles were hacked and that not only were many embarrassing emails between employees exposed to the public, but many of Sony’s unreleased films were also uploaded to the internet. While this indeed sounds bad for business at Sony, the attack could have far-reaching implications for the future of Hollywood and for world itself…

Hot on the heels of the news that the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame will install a new museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Mayor Bill Luckett has announced plans to erect a possible motion picture sound stage here in town. While there are currently two other sound stages in the state, one in Canton and the other in Biloxi (with another possibly underway on the coast), this would be the first facility of its kind in the northern region of the state. A sound stage would essentially be a warehouse-sized, open-spaced facility for building motion picture sets and contains all of the equipment, amenities and operational support needed for large productions. Here are eight potential advantages to having a movie sound stage in Clarksdale:

Preeminent physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) attends Cambridge as a graduate student in Cosmology and falls madly in love with Romance Languages student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones). Hawking proves himself as an intimidatingly brilliant scholar and he wows his instructors with his theories on how a black hole created the universe. Soon after he has an accident on campus and learns he has ALS or ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease’ which is a degenerative motor-neuron condition that doctors predict will give Hawkins only two years to live. Crushed, Hawking pushes Jane away but her love for him only strengthens their connection. After a quick wedding, Jane cares for the increasingly debilitated Hawking as he tries to prove a ‘Unified Theory’ while they raise a family amidst the strain of his deteriorating physical condition. A kindly church organist (Charlie Cox) with a crush on Jane and a spirited new nurse (Maxine Peake) for Hawking further complicates the relationship…

Directly following the events in “Catching Fire”, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) awakens alone in an underground infirmary in District 13 after barely surviving the last Hunger Games event. Now under the protection of the resistance, Katniss is asked by resistance leader President Coin (Julianne Moore) to become the ‘Mockingjay’, the symbol of the revolution. Enraged that the resistance did not fulfill its promise to rescue her partner, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), Katniss refuses until she realizes she is in the position to make demands…

Most of us realize by now how useful our ’smart’ cellular phones and tablets can be but most of us might not be aware of their full capabilities. Of course you can watch a TV show or movie on such a device if you download it beforehand or stream it via a wifi connection, but did you know you could beam that show to a nearby wifi-enabled TV? Even if your phone or TV doesn’t have that feature, you could easily find the proper phone-to-TV wire connector to achieve the same result. Imagine that… You basically have a portable HD Blu Ray player in your pocket and you didn’t even realize it. While that sounds impressive, it is merely scratching the surface of how your current (and next) cell phone will deliver entertainment…

The film takes place in a future where war has been eradicated and forward technological progress has come to a standstill. Although there is peace, the world is suffering due to lung disease caused by unending dust storms and all edible plant life is dying from an incurable blight. Farmers are more valued than spaceship pilots, so Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) has forsaken his gift to live in the country and raise corn with his family. When Cooper and his spirited, genius daughter Murphy investigate a paranormal event in their farmhouse, it leads them to the location of a secret government project to discover life on distant planets and risk a new means of travel to get there. Cooper is inducted into the project and sent into space, leaving his grieving daughter behind…

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Coop’s latest! The teaser for the upcoming short GOD MAKER…

Northern Mississippi 1932:
In a cabin in the woods, a blind blues guitarist will discover his destiny from a lovesick goddess who seeks to corrupt his soul.

GOD MAKER is Coop's latest, most ambitious short film and will be ready for a late 2013 festival season.

Coop’s award-winning 48 hour short film trailer for REGRESS…

Told in reverse, this experimental made-in-48-hours film begins with a shocking murder then backtracks (like a viewer rewinding a VHS tape) to reveal the chilling origins of this tragedy.

WINNER: BEST SHORT FILM at the 2013 Clarksdale Film Festival...
NOMINATED: BEST DIRECTING by the 2012 48hr. Guerrilla Film Challenge (international contest)...
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2013 Crossroads Film Festival

Watch the teaser for Coop’s 1970’s grindhouse movie spoof…

I'm not even going to mention the freaky-deaky title of this film on the blog. Watch it to find out.